Forum Topic

Japan disaster

I cant believe no-one is posting on the Japan catastrophe.  I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep worrying about the people both there and here.  I feel like I want to take in a Japanese family to do my bit to help.

Barbara Yerolemou ● 5504d10 Comments

If anyone is interested my friend, who has spent time with the relief agencies in and around Sendai, has posted some photos on his blog here:http://blogs.covchurch.org/jhpeterson/?p=414

Nigel Brooks ● 5491d

By way of an update. Revd. Jim Paterson, my friend in Tokyo, is back from his first trip up north.He has  been volunteering at an organisation that is  facilitating relief efforts and will be going back up to near Fukushima later this week to help set up base camps that will assess local needs and then host volunteer teams from all over the world.He spoke of the amazing reconstruction efforts already underway. The real need at the moment, and one with which it is difficult to get external help, is for petrol and diesel. They have it but can't pipe it around ad the pipes and manifolds were severely damaged, so everything is going by tanker.Sensibly, there is national fuel rationing as the effort is focussed on getting fuel to the north east of Japan.More as I get it.

Nigel Brooks ● 5493d

As one of the main issues in Japan is survival supplies/food and its is proving impossible to get it into the quake areas:we could take all the equipment (blankets, food, camp beds, etc.) that is part of Ealing's disaster recovery plan, charter a large jet transport aircraft, buy even more food, buy parachutes, hire some consultants who have doen air drops, load up the transport jet, fly it over to Japan (about 24hrs) and do an airdrop probably saving hundreds.

Maggie Tomlinson ● 5502d

By way of an update, my chum Jim has now travelled north towards Sendai with a load of non-prescription medication and will hook up with other clergy in the area to, hopefully, aid in the efforts to bring relief to those who have lost everything.His update was brief and I will post here if I hear anything more over the next few days.

Nigel Brooks ● 5503d

Thank you all.  It's good to hear the knowledgeable and reasoned contributions.  I also agree that somehow we should give practical help such as medical.  In a way I'm embarassed with reporters thrusting cameras into Japanese people's faces to show us their suffering.  Thank you Nigel for your news. I feel I'm more in touch with what is really happening and not just what the media (perhaps sensationally)chooses to tell me or show me.  I did read on the front page of Actontoday that a Japanese restaurant at West Acton is fundraising and I popped in.  Apparently some Japanese people are going to Japan soon and will use the money to help but as has been pointed out the infrastructure is down.  On the subject of Ealing Council - it has an emergency plan and it is reviewed frequently.  Of course, having a plan and carrying out exercises never really prepares you for the real thing.  Look at Japan.  There were barriers to hold back tsunamis until this big one came which smashed them to pieces.I just stand in awe of the power of natural forces and feel so helpless when I see such disasters - Australia, New Zealand and now Japan. If there are fellow posters who know personally of what is happening and know of any way we can help, please keep us up to date.

Barbara Yerolemou ● 5504d

It just had to start snowing, didn't it?

Susan Kelly ● 5504d

Also consider the many current aftershocks over hundreds of miles which are disruptive even with the populations knowledge of minimising exposure to earthquake tremors built up over many years. A relative on internet camera to Yokohama was able to see a picture move on the wall yesterday during a tremor.The people are stoic and likely to rebuild in their prefectures (counties) and far from being refugees. The Fukishima radioactivity adds another dimension which has yet to be played out but the shortfall in electricity meant complete suspension of rail travel in the Tokyo region, perhaps national, on Monday and leaves many without heating in icy weather.I`d like our government to help in specialised areas where the normal Japanese capacity may be overwhelmed such as patient recovery from severe burns and amputations and the fifty men trying to tame the reactors may require the best treatment available too. 

Robert Darke ● 5504d

I think people aren't posting about it because it's hard to know what to say once we've all agreed how awful and frightening it is.

Susan Kelly ● 5504d

I am posting, but not here. As example a friend of mine Revd. Jim Paterson, who lives just north of Tokyo, is currently working, along with his eldest boy, with the relief agencies and I am in touch with him through, would you believe, a photographic bulletin board as we share photography as a passion.There is, according to Jim, no need for donations. There is adequate food and clothing but destroyed infrastructure means that ther are real problems in getting it to the ares of need. The real worry is Fukushima and whether it can be controlled together with getting relief to to more remote areas of the north east coast where whole villages are now no more than 'blips' on the satnav.

Nigel Brooks ● 5504d

I agree.With 9/11 the constant repetition on TV of what happened the horror of it somehow got far further in than most other recent disasters. I think the same is happening with the disaster in Japan. The pictures and associations are just so terrifying.Do you know if outlets in the Borough have set up collection points for donations? Apart from sending a message has the Council done any thing to help, or help us to help the Japanese? And what about our distant Kiwi cousins? What surprises me more broadly is that no one has commented on nuclear power or disaster planning..Although unlikely to have an earthquake in Ealing no one seems to know a thing about disaster planning in the Borough. It is said that following the previous earthquake the Japanese at least had some better knowledge of how to deal with this one. So, for instance what would happen if we had to evacuate? We do live close to Heathrow.As former Mayor what do you think about that? 

George Knox ● 5504d